The defending gold medallists were nine-time winners Great Britain, attempting to defend their title for a sixth successive time.[4] Their crew finished in fourth placed in the final and outside the medals.
Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) has been limited to a single boat (four rowers) in the event. There are 10 qualifying places in the men's coxless four, thus there are forty athletes:[3]
During the first round two heats were held. The first two boats in each heat advanced to final A, with the others relegated to the repechage.
The repechage is a round which offers rowers a second chance to qualify for Final A. The top two boats in the repechage moved on to the semi-finals, with the remaining boats being sent to Final B.
There were two finals. Final A determined the medallists and the places through 6th. Final B determined places seven through ten.
Schedule
The competition was held over four days. Times given are session start times; multiple rowing events might have races during a session.[2]